News You Can Use From TiVo, Volume 57

Hand-in-hand with the mountainous displays of candy, October has arrived. Below, you’ll find your usual newsletter tricks and treats, and starting today, you can also scare me up in your living room to hear about a sweet but 100% sugar-free, zero-carbs, brand-new TiVo product from Humax: A DVD Recorder with TiVo service. Learn why this beauty is so clearly NOT your average DVD recorder when you choose the menu item titled “3 products in 1 TiVo box from Humax.”

Try not to be too spooked when you hear it’s only $399* after our $100 mail-in rebate and as an existing TiVo subscriber, yes, of course you qualify for the multi-service discount, knocking the service fee down to a shockingly low $6.95 a month. Better yet, we’ve added this DVD Recorder with TiVo service to our growing list of TiVo rewards, so you could even get one of your own without spending a dimeâ€”just 35,000 TiVo Points.

Who needs a chocolate kiss when life has a caramel center full of this much TiVo love?

P.S. In case your favorite DVR inspires a costume and/or jack o’ lantern this 31st, I don’t suppose there’s a ghost of a chance you’ll send us a picture, will ya? See these amazing apparitions from Halloween’s past.

Who needs The Tooth Fairy when you’ve got The Magic Potty-Training Box? Parents Howard and Ellen F. say the “big yellow button” is the only (non-Blue’s) clue their 3-year-old son Max needs to keep him from missing a minute of his favorite Nickelodeon showâ€”and, of course, that big white ceramic circle in the little boy’s loo. “Within a week we were able to transition from diapers to underwear, and the potty hasn’t been a problem since,” Howard brags (as you parents do, donâ€™t you?). Similarly, Barb says she taught her daughter to “pause for the cause” and thereâ€™s been nary an accident since. Finally, Gina M. from Racine, WI, shared this compelling TiVo tale: “Many friends had recommended Jim Henson’s ‘Bear in the Big Blue House’ potty training episode, but I could never locate it on video or find it in the program guide. Then, one day, it showed up on my Now Playing screen as a TiVo Suggestion, turning the worst day of potty training into our best. TiVo has since recorded many potty-themed episodes that has made our adventure in potty training a breeze.”

Here’s a magical TiVo tale worth a REWIND… Once upon a TiVo time, it wasn’t a question of good witch or bad witch. Santa Barbara subscriber Andy was just looking for the right witch. Luckily, the TiVo service had all the hocus-pocus he needed to conjure it up. Andy was only 6 years old when he was an extra on “Bewitched” so not surprisingly, the episode aired and went to archives before the poor lad could even crinkle his own nose. Recalling only that the storyline involved Tabitha’s birthday party (“We didn’t even know when they were filming,” said Andy. “They just told us kids to have a party.”), Andy used a “Bewitched” episode guide on the Internet to narrow down possibilities, locating “A Bunny for Tabitha” as a likely suspect. “Next, I created a WishList search for Bewitched and Bunny,” Andy explains. “About five months later, it showed up on my Now Playing list!” As a bonus surprise, while watching the program with his family, Andy recognized Danny Bonaduce, the only party-goer with a spoken line. “Without TiVo I never would’ve seen this,” says Andy.

Recommend It!

“I would like to recommend America’s Test Kitchen from the good people who publish Cook’s Illustrated magazine,” writes subscriber Erika M. from Levittown, NY. “This half-hour show focuses on two or three recipes each episode, really delving into the best way to make the ultimate version of each dish. For example, recently they had an episode called ‘Truck Stop Favorites’ that featured chicken-fried steak and coconut-cream pie. Both had my mouth watering and hands reaching for pen and paper to jot down the ingredients.” Erika differentiates the show as separate and distinct from the usual “Hollywood slick,” calling the show’s hosts “just real, honest-to-goodness people who love to cook and consider it their avocation as well as their vocation.” Check it out and get cooking, persuades Erika, who also gives a nod to the show’s good segments on taste-testing and kitchen equipment. Find out if the series airs in your market (the fourth season recently launched on public television stations nationwide), by searching your local listings via TiVo Central Online. If so, be sure to schedule a recording and sample America’s Test Kitchen yourself.

Got an opinion on great TV? Recommend it to your fellow subscribers with a compelling pitch that includes a few reasons why the show is a standout. We’ll feature a new recommendation every newsletter.

TiVoÂ® Tip: Scare Up Seasonal Shows

Looking for unusual TV treats this October? For a good scream, create a WishListâ„¢ search using HALLOWEEN, VAMPIRE, or MONSTER as a keyword. For crafts, try COSTUME or PUMPKIN and select Arts and Living as a category. Or for ideas you can really sink your fangs, er, teeth into, use CANDY and Cooking as the subcategory. And to ensure you don’t get robbed of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” this year, be sure to indicate exact phrase with quotation marks like this: “CHARLIE BROWN” (use the PAUSE button); otherwise “Good grief!” you’ll get everything Charlie Rose, Charlie Chaplin, James Brown, etc., too. (Bonus Tip: Instead of selecting “Auto-record” for such WishList searches, choose View upcoming episodes and schedule recordings every two weeks. Otherwise, seasonal WishList picks will, well, haunt you all year long!) Have a suggestion of your own? Be a TiVo tipster and tell us how YOU use the amazing TiVo service to get exactly what you want.

We’ve been getting quite a few questions about the TiVo Rewards program, so this month’s You Ask, We Answer column is dedicated to answering the top few most frequently asked.

Q: What is TiVo Rewards?

A: TiVo Rewards is a customer loyalty program that rewards you with TiVo Points for referring your friends and family to the TiVo service or by using your TiVo Platinum MasterCard.

Q: Do I need to register?

A: Yes. You must complete a quick registration form at www.tivo.com/rewards before you can earn points â€” there is no cost or obligation.

Q: I referred my friend, but they forgot to enter my e-mail address when they activated TiVo service. What should I do?

A: Claiming points that have not yet been awarded is easy. Just sign into your TiVo Rewards account at www.tivo.com/rewards and then click on the “What if I’m missing points for a referral?” link on the right side of the screen. Next, click the “Request Credit” link and complete the form. You can request points any time within 60 days after your friend activated service.

Q: When will my reward arrive?

A: TiVo Rewards items may take up to 8-10 weeks to be shipped once your order is placed. However, most orders are shipped within 4-6 weeks. You normally should receive the order within 6 days of shipment, but it could take longer. You will receive a shipment confirmation e-mail once your order has shipped that will contain a tracking number to track your order.

Q: How can I remind my friends to list me as the referrer when they activate?

A: We have lots of ways to share the love with your friends at tivo.com/rewards. You can send online postcards and print out the ultra-cool referral cards to hand out to your friends!

For complete details about the TiVo Rewards program, along with a more complete list of questions and answers, refer to www.tivo.com/rewards. And if you haven’t already, register today and start earning.

Flame on! Word on America’s proverbial crime-fighting streets is that Marvel Enterprises has cut a deal with France’s Antefilms Prods. to produce an animated TV series based on the “Fantastic Four” comic-book characters. “The Hollywood Reporter” reports Marvel said it would produce 26 half-hour episodes targeted for premiere in the United States in late 2006. (Shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering the summer 2005 release of the live-action Fantastic Four feature film from 20th Century Fox.) Marvel Studios chairman and CEO Avi Arad said the new “Fantastic Four” series would aim for an all-ages audience a la “The Simpsons,” with humor that works for adults who remember the original comics as well as kids who will be introduced to the characters next summer. Arad said that Marvel was in talks with several U.S. networks to license the “Fantastic Four” series but that no formal deals have been nailed down for the show in any regions.

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TiVo Hotlinks

If you need help with any aspect of your TiVo service subscription and REQUIRE a response, visit our online Customer Support. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this newsletter, e-mail the editor. (Unfortunately, due to volume received, not every e-mail can be answered.) Update your e-mail address, snail mail, account preferences and more at Manage My Account. Search TV listings or schedule recordings with Online Scheduling at TiVo Central Online.

About MegaZone

MegaZone is the Editor of Gizmo Lovers and the chief contributor. He's been online since 1989 and active in several generations of 'social media' - mailing lists, USENet groups, web forums, and since 2003, blogging. MegaZone has a presence on several social platforms: Google+ / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / LiveJournal / Web. You can also follow Gizmo Lovers on other sites: Blog / Google+ / Facebook / Twitter.